How to choose a UPS for a gas boiler - advice from professionals

Modern gas boilers, which are installed in heating systems of private houses, are not just tanks with gas burners located under them. This is serious equipment that efficiently burns fuel with high heat transfer efficiency. Therefore, various components and equipment are introduced into the system with the boiler unit, which are responsible specifically for increasing the efficiency of the unit as a whole. One of these units is an uninterruptible power supply for a gas boiler.

The need for a UPS for heating gas boilers

A modern gas boiler includes the following energy-dependent blocks and components:

• circulation pump;
• Control block;
• automatic protection system;
• fan;
• GMS modules, with the help of which the operation of a gas boiler is regulated from a distance.

If for some reason the supply of electricity to the boiler stops or there is a downward change in voltage, these components stop working. The efficiency of all boiler equipment decreases or stops completely.

To prevent this from happening, the gas boiler comes with an uninterruptible power supply. In other words, an uninterruptible power supply. Abbreviated as UPS.

Operating principle of uninterruptible power supply

Before you understand the principle of operation, you need to find out what parts the uninterruptible power supply consists of:

1. Steel body.
2. Accumulator battery.It is the source of power in emergency situations.
3. Inverter.
4. Control unit and configuration of equipment options.

The inverter's job is to convert the direct current produced by the battery into alternating current. When the gas boiler is powered from the network, the inverter performs the functions of recharging the battery. – converts alternating current to direct current. In this case, the transition to one side or the other occurs in a split second, so the boiler does not react in any way to a change in the power source and continues to operate as normal.

How to professionally choose a UPS for a gas boiler

Due to the variety of uninterruptible power supply models on the market, making the right choice is not always easy.

Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. Power. Control and protection units, automation, inverter are energy-intensive components (they consume minimal power). The circulation pump and fan also do not require much electricity. But you need to be guided by them when choosing an uninterruptible power supply. Usually the power consumption of the boiler is indicated in its passport or on the nameplate.
2. Through zero. Today, manufacturers offer two types of UPS: phase-dependent and phase-independent. The difference is that in the first, the phase and neutral of the network are connected to the terminals of the uninterruptible power supply, on which these two indicators are indicated. Such devices are called - with a through zero. Secondly, it makes no difference which terminal you connect which wire to. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to find out which group the device belongs to and make the connection correctly.
3. Speed ​​of switching from mains to battery. The faster the better.
4. Electric capacity of the battery. The greater this characteristic, the longer the battery will keep the boiler in working condition.
5. Sinusoidal voltage. Not in every uninterruptible power supply model the inverter can produce the correct voltage sine wave. And for gas boilers a standard indicator of this characteristic is required. Therefore, it is necessary to choose devices with exactly this voltage indicator.

The best UPS + battery kit

Many manufacturers equip uninterruptible power supply systems with lead-acid batteries, designated as SLA. They are larger in size than lithium ones and much heavier.

Most uninterruptible power supply models take into account the possibility of connecting additional batteries. If such a need arises, then you need to take into account that the connected batteries must match the technical characteristics of those installed in the uninterruptible power supply. This is the only way to ensure that all batteries are charged and discharged equally. This makes it possible to extend the life of the uninterruptible power supply.

Today to UPS They offer two types of batteries:

• gel;
• made of fiberglass mat.

The former are designated GEL, the latter – AMG.

Gel batteries are considered the safest because silicon is added to their electrolyte. This mineral makes the electrolyte thick, which means it does not leak out when the battery is turned over.

Hydrogen and oxygen, which are released during battery operation, are absorbed by the thick filler, where they combine to form ordinary water. And this is another plus for the safe operation of the device.

Professional advice when choosing a UPS for gas boilers

The main characteristic of an uninterruptible power supply is power. Therefore, before choosing a device, it is necessary to correlate its output power with the consumed characteristics of the gas boiler. To do this, they make a calculation.

For example, power:

• boiler - 200 W;
• circulation pump – 40 W;
• fan – 30 W.

Their sum is the total power of the boiler. But there is such a thing as energy efficiency, which is denoted by the letters of the Latin alphabet from “A” to “G”. When calculating the power of an uninterruptible power supply, it is necessary to take this into account. For category “A”, an increasing factor of 1.3 is taken into account. For all other categories it is equal to “5”.

If the circulation pump has energy efficiency category “C” and the fan “A”, then the power of the uninterruptible power supply will be calculated using the following formula:

200+(5x40)+(1.3x30)=403 W

It is recommended to make a small power reserve within 20%. That is:

403x1.2=484 W - this will be the guideline for choosing an uninterruptible power supply.

Is it possible to install an On-line UPS to power a gas boiler?

Types of UPS that manufacturers offer today:

1. Linear interactive.
2. Off-line.
3. On-line.

The first devices are equipped with a stabilizer that maintains a stable voltage of 220±10%. And it is active if the mains voltage is within the standard ranges. If the voltage drops or increases, the stabilizer turns off the UPS.

Secondly, there is no stabilizer. The third model differs significantly from the first two. In it, the inverter is always in an active state. An input rectifier is additionally installed to it. As a result, the inverter already receives direct current, transferring it to the battery. And even if the voltage in the network changes, the current will always be of high quality.

The rectifier-battery connection is in the same circuit.There is no commutation between them. This means that switching occurs instantly.

The only disadvantage of On-line UPS is the high price compared to others.

But all models from three categories can be safely installed on gas boilers.

Why it is unacceptable to use a computer UPS for emergency power supply of gas boilers

For household and industrial equipment, sinusoidal voltage is required. But not every inverter in an uninterruptible power supply can produce a pure sine wave. Often a step model is formed, which is also approximated. The photo below clearly shows how they differ from each other.

All electric motors can only operate on a pure sine wave. Electric motors are installed in the circulation pump and fan.

It cannot be guaranteed that sine wave will be as smooth as possible, but there are errors that are considered acceptable. Typically this figure does not exceed 8%. Therefore, when purchasing a UPS, you must definitely pay attention to this coefficient. Usually the manufacturer indicates it after the words: Total Harmonic Distortion.

For computers, you can use uninterruptible power supplies that produce a stepped sine wave. This is unacceptable for gas boilers.

Installing uninterruptible power supplies with a stepped sine wave to electrical appliances that generate reactive currents is likely to result in many problems:

Rating of the best on-line UPS for gas heating boilers

One of the best options is Stark Country 1000 Online. This UPS model is attractive because anyone can use it to independently configure the parameters of the boiler’s electrical power supply system.First of all, this concerns the current strength at the first stage of battery charging. As well as voltage regulation in the second and third stages.

Firstly, it makes it possible to increase the charging speed of the battery. Secondly, this is the only way to increase its life cycle.

The second plus is that the uninterruptible power supply of this brand has two sensitivity thresholds, which relate to the deviation of the frequency of the electric current.

There are two ranges here:

• 45-55 Hz;
• 50 Hz.

At the first frequency, it can be guaranteed that the uninterruptible power supply device will be combined with generators. The second provides a higher efficiency, as well as the power of the device.

The third advantage is the load segmentation mode. The uninterruptible power supply can independently, if necessary, disconnect consumers that are not classified as important.

The device has one drawback - the fan is very noisy.

The second UPS in the rating is ELTENA (INELT) Monolith E1000LT. We must pay tribute to this model not only for its great power. Although it is precisely this characteristic that helps to connect not only a pump to the boiler, but also a heating system for heated floors.

But this device has one positive aspect, which brought it to second place in the rating. This is the ability to connect either one or two batteries to it. The latter are connected in series. The first position is used if the uninterruptible power supply is connected to a gas boiler, which contains only a pump and a fan. The second is if additional electricity consumers are connected to the boiler.

And other advantages:

• cold start;
• bypass;
• dry contact, with which the voltage relay is regulated.

Minuses:

• the fan is noisy;
• lack of through neutral.

The third uninterruptible power supply in the rating for gas boilers is Energy PN-500. His positive qualities:

• automatic voltage control at the input to the UPS;
• Efficiency – 98%;
• fast battery charging;
• easily copes with power surges.

The production of thermal energy by modern gas boilers requires the constant availability of electric current. There has not yet been any other option but to install an uninterruptible power supply next to the boiler. The small-sized device solves almost all problems with network power failure or deterioration of voltage characteristics. Today this simple necessity is to have a UPS next to the gas boiler.

UPS for gas boilers: how to choose: video.

How is the UPS installed in your home? By what criteria did you choose it? Write in the comments. Save the article to bookmarks and share it on social networks.